Enlisted at No. 3 Recruit Centre (3 RC), Padgate, Warrington, Cheshire, as Aircraftman Second Class (AC2), mustering as Air Crew Hand (Wireless Operator Air).

Transferred to the Reserves, pending call-up.

Called up to No. 3 Recruit Centre (3 RC), Padgate, Warrington, Cheshire.

Remustered as Air Crew Hand (Flight Mechanic).

No. 2 Recruit Centre (2 RC), Cardington, Bedfordshire.

No. 2 School of Technical Training (2 SoTT), Cosford, Shropshire.

Remustered as Flight Mechanic (Engines).

Remustered as under training Fitter II and then as Fitter 2 (Engines) / under training Flight Engineer.

No. 4 School of Technical Training (4 SoTT), St Athan, Glamorgan, Wales.

Attached to A V Roe & Co., Chadderton, Lancashire.

Returned to No. 4 School of Technical Training (4 SoTT), St Athan, Glamorgan, Wales.

Awarded Flight Engineer's (E) brevet, promoted to Sergeant, and remustered as Flight Engineer.

No. 1662 HCU, Blyton, Lincolnshire; joined L R B Matthews crew, which probably now comprised:
L R B Matthews; Pilot
A D Roulson; Flight Engineer
R H Sinclair, RNZAF; Air Bomber
R S Bowden; Navigator
C H Bayram; Wireless Operator
D J Bealey & D W Blackman; Air Gunners

Halifax

Attached to No. 1 Lancaster Finishing School (1 LFS), Hemswell, Lincolnshire.

Lancaster

101 Sqn, Ludford Magna, Lincolnshire
Ops (5); L R B Matthews crew
29 Sep 43 – Bochum
03 Oct 43 – Kassel
22 Oct 43 – Kassel; DNCO: engine failure & icing; bombs jettisoned
03 Nov 43 – Dusseldorf
10 Nov 43 – Modane
26 Nov 43 – Stuttgart

Lancaster

No. 576 Sqn, ‘B’ Flight, Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire
Ops (1); L R B Matthews crew
04 Dec 43 – Leipzig;

Lancaster

Leipzig; lost in JB550 UL-T2, aged 21
Hit by flak on way to the target in the vicinity of Burg at about 2300 hrs or possibly shot down by Fw. Heinz Oberheide of 4./NJG3 at 0322 to the SW of Leipzig at 21,000 ft. and caught fire. Part of the bombload jettisoned before the aircraft fell apart and crashed in two pieces, one near the brickworks in Stegelitz and the other in a field near Landhaus Zeddenick, near Möckern, 14 miles East of Magdeburg. The two villages are approximately 4 miles apart, which might suggest strong winds. Only one crew member (unknown) baled out but did not survive. 

Buried originally locally in the two villages, he and the crew were reinterred at City Cemetery, Möckern and were reinterred on 19 Jul 47 at the Berlin 1939-45 War Cemetery, Charlottenburg, grave 6.H.3

Lancaster

Personal Records Restricted - not available to the public

Personal Documents Restricted - not available to the public